Stem cell first - tooth regeneration

The technique uses a three-dimensional scaffold infused with growth factor that attracts and stimulates stem cells to regenerate missing teeth in as little as nine weeks.

"An animal-model study has shown that by homing stem cells to a scaffold made of natural materials and integrated in surrounding tissue, there is no need to use harvested stem cell lines, or create an environment outside of the body (e.g., a Petri dish) where the tooth is grown and then implanted once it has matured. The tooth instead can be grown "orthotopically," or in the socket where the tooth will integrate with surrounding tissue in ways that are impossible with hard metals or other materials."

Work at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine Holds Promise for a Biological Substitute for Dental Implants, According to Latest Journal of Dental Research

Jeremy Mao, D.D.S., Ph.D.

"These findings represent the first report of regeneration of anatomically shaped tooth-like structures in vivo, and by cell homing without cell delivery,” Dr. Mao and his colleagues say in the paper. "The potency of cell homing is substantiated not only by cell recruitment into scaffold microchannels, but also by the regeneration of periodontal ligaments and newly formed alveolar bone."

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“A key consideration in tooth regeneration is finding a cost-effective approach that can translate into therapies for patients who cannot afford or who aren’t good candidates for dental implants,” Dr. Mao says. “Cell-homing-based tooth regeneration may provide a tangible pathway toward clinical translation.”

Stem cells replicate multiple generations into offspring cells which in turn can replicate;

A single population of stem cells can differentiate into multiple tissue-forming cells. For example mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into osteoblasts, chondrocytes and adipocytes that form bone, cartilage and fat respectively.

How are stem cells tracked?

Stem cells can be tracked with organic dyes, GFP-infected virii and nanoparticles.